Because Our Valuable Information Never Ends
by lifeisveryshortsoami
Summary: "Not too shabby an outcome for the greatest actor of our generation, huh?" A series of one-shots following the lives of Chad, Sonny, and what happens to them after Makayla is born. Set during and after Caught After Love's Fall.


Hello SWAC readers!

This is basically a few extra scenes I wanted to add to CALF but for one reason or another were edited out. Each of them has a date before it so you know where it takes place in time. If you haven't read Caught After Love's Fall, you may be a little confused.

Have fun reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

**Because Our Valuable Information Never Ends**

_March 26_

Little Kimberly Cooper had a big problem: she needed to learn how to dance and she only had one week to do it.

"You came to the right place for help, sis," Chad told her when his sister asked him if he'd be willing to help. "I'll call a personal dancing instructor right away!"

"You don't need a personal dancing instructor!" Sonny protested, grabbing her boyfriend's arm as he began bringing a cell phone to his ear. "Why don't you teach Kimberly how to dance, Chad?"

"I don't dance."

"You danced with me at my secret prom."

"That was different. I knew there was no chance of you hurting me." At Sonny's blank stare, Chad continued. "Kimberly has no idea how to dance, Sonny. She could accidentally step on my foot, break one of my toes, and potentially injure me badly enough to keep me off Mackenzie Falls for four to six weeks while I recover."

"Step on your foot…Where have I heard about somebody getting stepped on while dancing…" Sonny pointed a finger in Chad's direction happily. "That happened in a Mackenzie Falls episode, didn't it?"

"Episode number 320," Chad confirmed. "Mackenzie and Chloe dance, she steps on his foot with her very sharp heel, and the next thing the audience knows, Mackenzie is rushed to the emergency room."

"Chad," Kimberly interrupted, holding her foot in the air. "I'm not wearing heels."

"Sorry, Kim. It's still too risky. How do you expect them to make new episodes of Mackenzie Falls if the star can't work due to injury?"

Quite frankly, Sonny couldn't believe what she was hearing. Chad was refusing to help his own sister out just because there was a chance he could get hurt. What was more important to him, anyway? Keeping his job or bringing a smile to a little girl's face?

'_Uh-oh,' _Sonny thought, taking a nervous step backward. _'Chad just told Kimberly no. She's going to ask me next. What am I going to do? I can't let her down, but how am I going have enough energy to dance with her every night, get my homework done, make it through all the hours at the studio during the day, and hide this baby all the while? I can't do it. I'm just going to have to tell Kimberly no. She'll understand-,'_

"Sonny, will you-,"

"Of course I'll help you!" Sonny gave in without a fight, grabbing Kimberly's hand. "Come on, let's practice in your room. That way, Chad can't see what we're doing and he'll be amazed by the end of the week when you're dancing like a champion!"

However, after going in Kimberly's room and shutting the door behind them, both girls jumped when the door flew open. Chad waltzed in like he had every right in the world to be there.

"I thought dancing was too dangerous for you," Sonny reminded him.

"Oh, I'm not dancing. You said I can't see what you guys are doing, so of course, that means I have to see what you're doing!" He took a seat on Kimberly's unicorn bed before adding, "Besides, if you're teaching somebody how to dance, Munroe, I'm not missing out on the lessons. I have a feeling this is going to be funnier than all the episodes of So Random! put together!"

Chad got the laugh-fest he was searching for. Every night, Sonny came to his house and spent an hour or two working with Kimberly. The youngest Cooper was already learning the narcissistic ways her two brothers abided by. If Sonny disciplined her for stepping with the wrong foot or moving faster than the tempo of the music, Kimberly would either accuse Sonny of showing her how to do it incorrectly or find some other excuse, any excuse really, that would keep her from being the guilty party. Sonny would send Chad a helpless look, clearly asking, 'Will you please step in and tell her I'm right?' But Chad was having too much fun watching his sister pick on his girlfriend to offer any help.

It wasn't like Kimberly was a horrible dancer. Actually, for her age, she was pretty good. Sonny had a feeling the only reason she found herself getting so upset at the younger girl was because she felt completely fatigued. She found time to nap at the studio between takes, but helping Kimberly and being on her feet for an extra two hours a day took a lot out of her. By the time she finally made it home, her feet were swollen, her stomach was empty from all the tiring exercising, and all she felt like doing was crawling into bed. Too bad her mom had other ideas. No bed until every last drop of homework was completed.

'_I am never having another baby,'_ Sonny promised herself. _'Never!'_

Since Chad refused to help and Sonny needed to show Kimberly exactly what to do sometimes, she became acquainted with a very dashing partner: Mr. Beary the Bear. Beary was the tallest stuffed animal Sonny had ever seen - he came up to her chest - and was a wonderful model to use. However, whenever Beary came out, so did the laughter. Chad found it hilarious that Beary was the best idea Sonny could come up with. He watched as the two of them spun around the room, cracking jokes the entire time.

"I wouldn't have to use the stupid bear if you would dance with me instead!" Sonny snapped at him one night.

"I would dance with you, Sonny," Chad replied, trying his best to stifle his smile, "But I'd hate to make Beary jealous."

He ducked just before Beary had a chance to collide with his head.

On the final night of dance lessons, there were two problems: 1. Kimberly was in a bad mood because she thought she'd be dancing perfectly by now and 2. Sonny was too tired to deal with Kimberly's attitude. The two girls held hands and were doing their best to get through the dance, but there was something wrong with Kimberly's comprehension. She wasn't understanding something and Sonny could not figure out what that something was. All she knew was that she and Kimberly were both getting fed up with each other as they tried to figured out what was going on.

"Ladies, ladies!" Chad exclaimed, stepping between Kimberly and Sonny after they spent five minutes straight shouting at each other. "Kim, I think you need to sit down and take a break. Sonny, you need a better partner who can really show Kimberly what you want from her."

"It's not my fault Beary can't really move! I would love to give Kimberly a better example, but it's hard when you're dancing with an inanimate object! Maybe I should just go home before I cause any more trouble."

Her head down in shame, Sonny turned to leave the two Cooper's. She was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Its owner tugged with just enough force to send her spinning in circles. When she finally stopped, she was in Chad's arms.

"Shall we dance?" he asked, flashing his million dollar smile.

"I thought you were too jealous of Beary to dance with me, Chad."

"Hey, if anyone should be jealous, it should Beary of the two of us. Chad Dylan Cooper does not take second seat to a stuffed animal!"

Apparently, despite spending most of his time making fun of Sonny's teaching style, Chad had been listening to her lessons. He performed the dance Sonny was trying to teach to Kimberly flawlessly (although the steps weren't too hard for someone his age in the first place). Left foot, 1, 2, 3. Right foot, 1, 2, 3. Of course Chad had to add a few ideas of his own to show off, like spinning Sonny and dipping her so slow that her head nearly touched the floor. When the music stopped, he turned to his sister.

"And that's how it's done," he said proudly.

"Easy for you to say," Kimberly scoffed. "I'm not a great dancer like you, Chad."

"No…but you are a Cooper." Chad motioned for Kimberly to join him. "Come on, Kim. Give it one last try."

Grimacing the whole time, Kimberly joined her brother in the middle of the room, allowing him to link their hands together. Sonny started a new song-

Brother and sister began dancing-

And three minutes later, Kimberly had performed the dance perfectly.

"I did it, I did it!" Kimberly chanted. "Thank you so much, Chad! Thank you, Sonny!"

She pulled Chad and Sonny together, wrapping her tiny arms around both of their waists. As Sonny looked down at the younger girl, she thought about the tiny baby growing inside her.

Someday, it wouldn't be Chad's sister hugging her. It would be her own son or daughter. He or she would ask for help like Kimberly had done and Sonny would give them all the encouragement they needed until they too could shout, "I did it, I did it!"

Sonny wasn't sure she was ready for that just yet. Too bad she didn't have a choice.

* * *

_July 15_

If there was one thing Sonny knew she would love about motherhood, it was that she would get to act like a child again. Whenever Isaac wasn't crying, eating, or sleeping, he was looking for someone to play with. Sonny wasn't comfortable doing the motherly tasks, but when it came to play-time, she was always ready.

Today, Sonny and Isaac were sprawled across the carpet of Aunt Suzy's living room. Sonny stacked foam blocks on top of each other while Isaac watched, chewing on the corner of a block Sonny wasn't using. Both baby and teenager jumped when they heard the phone ring.

"Sonny," Aunt Suzy said a few minutes later, "That was Taylor. He locked his keys in his car. I need to drive down to the school and unlock the car for him."

"Sure thing, Aunt Suzy!" Sonny replied, springing to her feet. "I'll just grab Isaac's coat so the two of you can leave-,"

"Actually, I was thinking about leaving Isaac here."

"Well, that's silly! Isn't he a little bit young to stay here all by himself…" Sonny's voice trailed off as realization hit her. "Oh, no. You're not really thinking of leaving Isaac with me, are you? What if something happens to him?"

"Sonny, I'm only going to be gone for ten minutes!" Aunt Suzy laughed. "I'm sure the two of you will be fine. Besides, you have my cell phone number if anything goes wrong."

Leaning over to kiss Isaac's head, Aunt Suzy waved as she walked out the door, shouting, "I love you! Have fun!" over her shoulder.

Sonny stared at Isaac. Isaac stared at Sonny.

"So…What do you want to do-,"

Apparently Isaac felt just as nervous about his mother leaving as Sonny did. The smile that had covered his face only moments ago disappeared and was replaced with a frown line Sonny knew all too well: he was about to start crying.

"Don't cry, Isaac!" Sonny pleaded. "Please don't cry! Your mommy will be home soon! Um…What can I distract you with until she gets back?"

Isaac's lower lip trembled as he watched his baby-sitter crawl to the other side of the room. When she returned, she held a stuffed cow in her hands.

"Remember Daisy? She's one of your favorite toys, right?" When the infant sat still instead of reaching for the cow, Sonny moved her arm so it looked like the animal was dancing. She spoke in a higher-pitched voice like Aunt Suzy did when she pretended to be Daisy. "Hi, Isaac! I sure would love to play with you!"

When his tiny arms stretched toward her, Sonny placed Daisy in Isaac's arms. She sighed in relief - hopefully the cow would satisfy her youngest cousin for the remaining time they had left alone.

Yeah, like she would be so lucky. Somehow Isaac tore the toy apart. Little pieces of fluff fell onto his bald head.

"Ok, maybe that wasn't such a great idea," Sonny said, taking the toys' remains out of Isaac's clutch. "Aunt Suzy usually gives you a snack around this time of day, doesn't she? Are you hungry?"

Sonny clumsily scooped Isaac into her arms. Usually Aunt Suzy held him first then handed him over to Sonny. She wasn't used to being the one to lift him from the ground. He was heavier than she remembered! Walking slowly, making sure she was holding the wriggling Isaac tight enough that he wouldn't fall, Sonny made her way to the kitchen.

Her first problem arose when she tried to place Isaac in his high chair. With his feet wildly kicking the air, she found it impossible to put them through the proper slots. Setting the baby on the table, Sonny could barely keep her eyes off him long enough to grab a bottle. What if he rolled too close to the edge?

"Come here, little guy," she cooed once the bottle was in her hand. Thankfully, she'd seen Aunt Suzy feeding Isaac enough to know she was supposed to cradle him on his back while he ate. "Does somebody want their bottle?"

Feeding time went smoothly after that - until Isaac decided he was full. Sonny, who had no idea how to tell when her cousin was finished, kept the bottle tilted even after Isaac stopped sucking. Milk leaked through the cap, staining his cute outfit.

"Oh, no! We better get that shirt in the laundry right away!" Sonny began undressing her cousin before she remembered something. "Ah, but the laundry will have to wait. I need to burp you before that!"

Shifting Isaac so his head rested on her shoulder, Sonny patted his back. She thought she was doing okay - he was burping quite a lot - but then, she must have hit him harder than she'd meant to.

"Ew!" she cried in disgust. "Now I need to wash both of our shirts!"

By the time Aunt Suzy and Taylor came home, the sight they saw before them wasn't pretty: Isaac sitting on the counter, wearing nothing but a diaper. Sonny standing at the sink, her pregnant belly exposed since her shirt was off, too. Judging by the soap bubbles flying over Isaac's head, Sonny was trying to hand-wash the missing clothing. Something that looked like stuffing covered Isaac's head.

"Looks like you were right, Mom," Taylor said, doing his best not to smile. "Sonny was ready to be left alone with a baby! Do you think she can take over my job as Isaac's full-time baby-sitter? It looks like she did a great job to me!"

Glaring at her oldest son, Aunt Suzy rushed forward to give Sonny a hand. It was going to take a lot of work, but she would have the actress ready to care for her own child before her nine months were up.

Sonny Munroe was going to be the greatest mom Hollywood had ever seen!

* * *

_July 26_

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here, Uncle Tim!" Sonny cried happily, wrapping her arms around her Uncle's neck. "And thank you for teaching me so much about being a mother, Aunt Suzy! I'll never be able to thank the two of you enough for everything you've done for me!"

"It's been our pleasure having you here, Sonny," Uncle Tim said.

"You better send us lots of pictures of that baby once you have it!" Aunt Suzy threatened. "And don't be afraid to bring him or her over sometimes, too. If Hope is still living here, I'm sure your little guys would love a chance to play together!"

As much as she hated to admit it, Sonny was sad she had to leave Uncle Tim's and Aunt Suzy's house. She was going to miss the two of them and Taylor. And she was even going to miss Isaac, as annoying as he could be at times. She had grown use to the quiet life of staying home all day with Isaac and not having to worry about camera crews following her around.

But it was time for her to go home. Now that everyone knew the story behind her baby, she could return to Hollywood without having to worry about keeping her pregnancy a secret. Her mom was ecstatic when she found out Sonny planned on returning - "I've missed you so much!" she screamed into the phone after hearing the good news - and all the Randoms, Portlyn, and Chad promised to stand by her side even if Condor Studio didn't. They just wanted to have their sonshine back…and she was more than ready to be with them again.

Since Chad drove everyone to Sonny in his car, the Randoms and Portlyn called for a private jet to take them back to Hollywood. There was no way they could squeeze seven people into a five-seated car, especially if one of the seven was pregnant. They had left hours earlier, promising to meet up with Sonny and Chad as soon as they got back. However, now that her goodbyes were said, Sonny couldn't find her three-named chauffeur.

"Um…Where IS Chad?" she asked her Uncle and Aunt.

"Oh, I think Taylor took him upstairs. He probably wanted to avoid our sappy farewells," Uncle Tim replied. "Why don't you head on up and see if you can't find the boys?"

'_Chad Dylan Cooper, you're paying for this,' _Sonny vowed as she began climbing the staircase, barely managing to lift her legs high enough to conquer each new step. _'Making your pregnant girlfriend_ _climb an entire flight of stairs…You're going down, Cooper!'_

Already preparing a speech for Chad about how rude he was acting, Sonny stopped short when she reached the second level of the house. She didn't only stop because she needed a chance to catch her breath - although that did play a factor in her reasoning - but she also halted because she could hear Taylor's voice.

"So. You're the guy who took off the second he found out Sonny was pregnant, huh?"

Hope, who was standing down the hall from Sonny, silently waved the actress forward. She obliged, stopping in the same doorway her friend stood in. Taylor and Chad were both inside, their backs facing the girls.

"My cousin might be convinced you're the greatest guy on this planet, but I'm going to need a little more proof than just a promise that you're sticking around from here on out," Taylor stated. "If you're really going to stick by Sonny's side, you plan on helping her with the baby, don't you?"

"Well, I - of course I will - I mean, it only makes sense…" Chad's voice trailed off as he struggled to reply. Sonny couldn't see his facial expressions, but she knew the actor well enough to know his courage was failing. He was standing in Isaac's bedroom, probably watching while the baby slept away in his crib. Other than Kimberly, he had probably never been around such a young child. "I'm Chad Dylan Cooper. Of course I plan on helping Sonny out once the baby arrives!"

"I'm happy to hear that! Now, Chad, tell me: how much do you know about babies?"

"I know plenty about babies!"

"Prove it." Taylor stepped aside, gesturing to the crib. "Pick Isaac up."

Sonny wanted to rush forward. What Taylor was doing wasn't right. Chad had no idea how to act around a baby. If he tried picking Isaac up, he could hurt him or not get a sturdy enough grip and end up dropping him. He had to learn the proper technique before rushing into things before he was ready-

"Wait," Hope whispered, her hand the only thing preventing Sonny from running to Chad's side. "I think Chad might actually know what he's doing."

Sure enough, the blonde actor was following through on Taylor's order. He bent over the crib - and jumped away the moment Isaac squirmed.

"You're afraid of a tiny little baby?" Taylor scoffed.

"Chad Dylan Cooper fears nothing!" Chad protested, but he refused to come any closer to the crib.

"Sonny is only seventeen, Chad. My mom gets tired taking care of Isaac every day and she's a lot older than that. She asks my dad and me to help out quite a bit. Sonny is going to want help, too. If she has to go back and redo everything though because you don't do it right the first time, you'll be a nuisance more than anything else. Learning how to hold a baby is a good starting place."

Chad didn't have time to respond; Taylor started explaining step-by-step how to remove Isaac from the crib. The actor was nervous - that was obvious by how much his hands were shaking - and Sonny was sure he would give up, telling Taylor, "Thanks, but no thanks," for the advice.

Maybe Chad listened to Taylor's speech and realized he could never help Sonny if he didn't learn a thing or two before the baby came. Maybe he just wanted to show Taylor up by completing the task set before him. Perhaps he wanted to prove something to himself.

Whatever his reasoning was, Chad proceeded to lift Isaac into his arms. Taylor continued with his tips ("Make sure you support his head. Don't squeeze so tight. Hold him a little bit lower."). It wasn't long before Chad was able to smirk down at Isaac proudly.

"I have a younger sister, you know," he bragged. "I was never around much when she was this size though. I've been acting since before I could walk. I guess…I guess I missed out on learning how to do stuff like this."

"Well, you're doing an excellent job so far, man," Taylor complimented, clapping Chad's shoulder. "Ask Sonny if you don't believe me."

Spinning around at the speed of light, Chad's eyes locked with Sonny's. At first, he was mortified that she had caught him red-handed cuddling with a baby-

-But then, his guilt was replaced by a smile.

"Hey, look at me!" he proclaimed. "I'm all Father-like!"

It was during that moment that Sonny came to an understanding: Chad was serious. He was willing, eager even, to put his days at Condor behind him and switch to DelMingo Studio, which was where Sonny would have to work from now on - if DelMingo would hire her, anyway. There was no way Mr. Condor would allow a teen mom to work on any of his shows. Not only was Chad ready to say goodbye to Mackenzie Falls; he was also ready to leave his childhood behind and step up to the plate, just as Sonny was being forced to do.

Chad Dylan Cooper was serious about staying with Sonny and the baby.

Taking Isaac from Chad and throwing him into Taylor arms, Sonny took the baby's place against Chad's chest. It felt good to be in his embrace again, to know that he was never going to leave her. Chad Dylan Cooper could be conceited at times-

-But for the people he loved, he was willing to put aside his selfish ways. Luckily, he happened to be in love with a certain brunette named Allison 'Sonny' Munroe.

* * *

_July 27_

"This is just something I was thinking about after taking care of Isaac all day," Sonny explained, her voice coming out faster than she wanted it to. "I never realized how much work babies really are. Isaac isn't even a newborn! Even with Aunt Suzy helping me, I was exhausted by the time I went to bed every night. Isaac is a sweetheart and I love him so much, but he's also the biggest pain I've ever met. Maybe I'm just acting childish here, but then again, maybe it would be the right thing to do-,"

"Sonny," Connie cut her daughter off. "Just tell us what this idea of yours is."

Connie, Chad, and Mr. and Mrs. Cooper all sat together in the Cooper's living room. Sonny stood before them, pacing the floor nervously. She had to tell them what she was talking about even though the mere mention of the "A" word nearly brought tears to her eyes. She had to know what their opinions were before she made the final decision.

"You all know that this baby was an accident," Sonny continued, taking a deep breath. "You know I had no intention of having a baby at this point in my life. You also know that if I keep him - her - it - I'll be a single mother. He - she - it - will grow up never knowing who the real father is. With me as his - her - its - mother, it'll always be in the spotlight. Everyone will want to watch it grow up and wonder if it wants to be an actor and I just…I was just wondering if maybe he - she - it - would be happier growing up out of the limelight."

The room fell silent.

"Are you suggesting…" Mr. Cooper never finished his question.

"I'm suggesting that…I'm considering giving the baby up for adoption." When nothing but silence met her ears, Sonny pulled a few books from behind her back. "I did a little research while I was gone just incase I decided to go with…you know. These are some of the families I liked best. As you can tell by looking through these pages, all the couples are extremely friendly and-,"

"I don't want to look at these," Chad interrupted, climbing to his feet. "I'm disappointed in you, Sonny."

The actress could feel her strength leaving as she struggled to stay composed. Chad thought her idea was stupid. He was disappointed in her and upset and-

"Wait…why are you disappointed?" Sonny demanded. "I thought you would like this idea. It would keep you from having to take care of a baby that isn't yours!"

"I'm disappointed because you're Sonny Munroe. You're the girlfriend of me, Chad Dylan Cooper. Cooper's can do anything we set our mind to; so can Munroe's." He made sure to bump Sonny's shoulder as he left the gathering, pausing only long enough to whisper one last thing: "The Sonny I know wouldn't push her troubles off on someone else. She would face them head-on, no matter how challenging they were. And she definitely would never consider giving away a member of her own family."

Sonny turned her attention to Connie. Surely her own mother wouldn't frown upon adoption! She knew how hard it would be for somebody so young to raise a baby…didn't she?

"Mom?" Sonny asked softly. "What do you think about the idea?"

"I think you need to do whatever you think is best, Sonny," Connie answered. "I can't imagine giving my granddaughter away no matter who its daddy is, but…it's up to you, honey." She climbed to her feet as well, muttering a quick, "Excuse me," before fleeing the room.

Mr. and Mrs. Cooper avoided Sonny's eyes as she sat on the floor in front of them (which was quite a feat considering how big she was getting). She grabbed Mrs. Cooper's hands, clinging to them as though her life depended on it.

"You understand why I had to consider adoption, don't you?" she pleaded.

"Of course I understand, Sonny," Mrs. Cooper said, smiling softly. "I work with a lot of teenage girls who get pregnant and they all make different decisions when it comes to their babies. Some of them decide to raise them, other choose adoption…"

"So I'm not crazy for thinking of adoption!"

"No, you're not crazy at all," Mrs. Cooper confirmed. "However, if you really are thinking about going through with adoption…"

She turned her eyes to her husband, begging him for permission to finish her statement. Mr. Cooper nodded, squeezing his wife's hand encouragingly. Sonny held her breath, preparing for the worst. They would going to tell her she was making a stupid decision, that she should raise the baby herself-

"We would like to adopt your child."

For the first time in her life, Sonny was too shocked to say a word.

"I don't want you to think that we're trying to take the baby away, Sonny," Mrs. Cooper rushed on. "We both, Mr. Cooper and I, I mean, love you very much and we want you to make the most out of your life. If you don't feel you can do that and raise a baby at the same time, we want to help. Of course, if you did allow us to adopt I it, you would be expected to visit every day. We don't want to take away your child."

"It's just something to consider," Mr. Cooper added. "We just don't want to see you give the baby to complete strangers."

Sonny did think about the offer. She liked the idea of having her son or daughter so close, of being able to see him or her as often as she wanted to but not living under the full responsibility of being a parent. At the end of the day, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper would be the ones who took care of the baby. Sonny would just be a very close friend.

She had to attempt, she was tempted to accept. After taking care of Isaac all day every day, she wasn't sure she was ready to take on the role of a mother 24/7 just yet. If Mrs. Cooper was willing to do it for her…

However, as much as Sonny wanted to give the baby up, there was a huge part of her that disagreed with that decision. Was it really a good idea to hand the baby off when she was perfectly capable of caring for it? And what about Chad? He and the baby would be brother and sister. Somehow, thinking about marrying her daughter's brother sounded very, very wrong to Sonny's ears.

"Well, I guess it's decided then," she stated one evening, placing a hand on her bulging belly. "You and I are going to stick together!"

In her heart, Sonny knew she'd made the right choice.

* * *

_August 4_

"Come in!" Connie Munroe shouted when she heard someone knocking on her front door.

She wasn't surprised when Chad waltzed into the apartment. He'd been over every day since Sonny had returned from her Uncle and Aunt's house. He claimed he would stay over all day every day, but unfortunately, he couldn't get anytime off from DelMingo Studio until after the baby was born. Sonny waved off his apologies and told him only married couples spent every minute of the day together anyway. For some reason, the two of them exchanged smiles every time she said that, but before Connie could ask what was so funny, one of them would change the topic.

Tonight, something was different about Chad. Instead of asking for Sonny's whereabouts or inquiring why Connie wasn't watching Mackenzie Falls ("You could have the show on as background noise while you work on other things. That's the only way you're going to get in your daily dose of drama, Mrs. Munroe!"), the actor stayed silent as he drug his feet across the floor. Connie watched as he flopped onto her couch, allowing a huge sigh to escape his lips as he did so.

"Scrapbook while you talk," Connie ordered, throwing a tube of glitter into Chad's lap. "Sonny's birthday is less than a month away and we're not anywhere close to having this book finished!"

"Scrapbook?" Chad repeated. "But we can only do that when Sonny's not here."

"Sonny isn't here. Tawni and Portlyn took her shopping for more baby stuff. I have no idea what time they're getting back, so start working before it's too late!"

This time, Chad did what Connie asked him to do. While she flipped through old photo books, trying to find pictures of Sonny, he held the yellow book, the one Mrs. Munroe was giving her daughter for her eighteenth birthday, in his hands. He decorated the pages Connie had already glued pictures to - but not before sighing again, louder this time.

"Is something wrong?" Connie took the bait.

"It's nothing," Chad assured her. "My parents just had this really stupid idea. They want me to visit Bryson - he's my older brother, remember? - at his college. Apparently they think the two of us don't spend enough time together. I told them now isn't a good time, that I really need to be here for Sonny, but they're insisting I go anyway. I really, really want to be with Sonny though so I can be there for her throughout the remainder of her pregnancy." Chad paused at this point, his eyes meeting Connie's. "I really, really, really want to be with Sonny. I mean I really, really, really, really, _really_-,"

"If I say Sonny can go to the college with you, will you shut up?"

"She can come?" Chad asked, his smile spreading quickly.

"I don't see why not. She's already pregnant. I don't know what trouble she could find that would be worse than that," Connie consented. "But that doesn't mean she won't have any rules, so get your mind out of that gutter, Cooper, before I-,"

"I'm home!"

The book in Chad's hands was ripped away and thrown beneath the couch. If Sonny noticed, she didn't say anything about it. She skipped into the living room, kissed Chad swiftly, then showed her mom the shopping bags hanging off her arms.

"Check it out!" she cried happily. "You should see all the stuff Portlyn and Tawni bought, mom! You'd think I was having triplets or something!"

"That's great, Sonny!" Connie replied. "Why don't you put the new stuff in the nursery with everything else?"

"There's a nursery?" Chad asked, turning his head so he could see down the Munroe's tiny hallway. "But…you don't have an extra room…"

"You haven't seen the nursery yet?" Sonny proclaimed. She reached out for Chad's hand. "You have to see it, Chad! Come on, I'll show you!"

She led him down the hall and stopped outside the door Chad knew opened into her room. He was about to ask why she was stopping-

-But the moment she pushed the door open, his question was forgotten.

Sonny's bedroom had been rearranged since the last time Chad had seen it. Her things were all pushed against one wall, her bed and dresser squashed in the tight space. However, across the way from her things, baby stuff took over the rest of the room. There was a crib, a car-seat, a stroller, a huge stuffed cow. As Sonny went forward to add her new bags to the collection, Chad noticed a tiny dresser which was more than likely full of baby clothes.

"The baby and I are sharing a room!" Sonny stated as though it wasn't obvious. "I know it'll be a little cramped…but it'll have to work. I don't mind sharing. I'm looking forward to it actually!"

"Wow," was the only word Chad could think of. He doubted his own nursery had been as nice as this one!

"I know, right?" Sonny smiled as she took everything in. "There's only one thing left to do…"

Opening one of her many bags, Sonny pulled out a can of paint. Chad smiled as he joined her, accepting the paintbrush she offered him. Somehow, he knew exactly the mural she wanted on the wall-

-And he couldn't agree more how beautiful a rainbow would look there.

* * *

_August 15_

"Chad."

A loud snore was the only response.

"Chad…"

This snore was louder than the first.

"Chad!"

Chad Dylan Cooper woke with a start, screaming, "Don't let them take my racecar bed, mommy!" Whatever he had been dreaming about was apparently too exciting for him; he rolled off the couch he'd been sleeping on, taking both his pillow and blanket with him.

'_Ow!' _the actor thought to himself, rubbing the back of his head. _'Wait…it's still dark in here. It's not morning yet! Who was stupid enough to take away Chad Dylan Cooper's beauty sleep?'_

A giggling teenage girl answered his question.

"That wasn't very smart, Munroe," Chad informed his girlfriend. "I could've landed on you, you know. You do want a baby without brain damage, don't you?"

"I don't think you falling on me would hurt the baby, Chad," Sonny argued. "It's protected pretty well right now."

Chad wasn't in the mood to fight. It was 3 AM according to the digital clock he could see glowing from the kitchen and he had a horrible headache from squishing his body up every night for the past week in order to fit on Bryson's couch. Since his brother, Grant, and Allan shared a two-room dorm, there weren't a lot of options for sleeping arrangements while Chad, Sonny, and Grady visited. Allan had his own room. Grady shared with Grant and Bryson. Chad decided he would take the couch in the living room since, as sore as he was upon waking up every morning, he knew it would be even worse for Sonny. Instead, he gave her the air mattress.

"Is there a reason you chose to wake up now instead of waiting four hours?" Chad asked, fumbling to find his way back onto the couch. Sometimes, he wished he could see as well as cats did in the dark. It sure would make his life much easier in situations like this one.

"I'm hungry."

Thinking he must have misheard her, Chad stuck a finger in his ear, pretending to clear out anything that wasn't supposed to be inside.

"Excuse me…What?" he asked slowly. "It sounded like you only woke me up because you're hungry…?"

"You know what I could really go for right now?" Sonny replied, acting as though she never heard Chad. "A nice big bowl of Wisconsin cheese and maybe some - why are you laying back down?"

Sure enough, even in the dark, Sonny could see Chad propping his pillow back up on the couch's armrest.

"I am going back to sleep," he explained. "If you're hungry, you can march yourself over to the kitchen and find yourself some food."

"Really, Chad? Really? I'm seven months pregnant and you expect me to get my own food?"

"You're pregnant, Sonny, not disabled."

"You're not disabled, either!"

"Yes. And I'm also not the one complaining about being hungry."

Refusing to give up even after Chad turned his back to her, Sonny tried to think of another battle plan. She was starving - when wasn't she starving these days? - but the last thing she wanted to do was crawl out from beneath her warm blanket, waddle her way into the kitchen, and forge through the cabinets the best she could while a huge bump separated her from reaching her favorite foods.

She sniffled loudly. Chad was a sucker for crying girls!

"Cut the act, Sonny," Chad scoffed. "How many times do I have to tell you that you're not that great of an actress? I can totally tell you're not really crying."

"Fine!" Sonny stated. "I guess I'll just get my own food then!"

"Fine," Chad agreed.

Too frustrated to carry on their usual banter (Chad claimed he wanted to marry her, and yet he didn't even love her enough to save her a trip to the kitchen?), Sonny wriggled her way to the edge of her mattress. Using the couch to steady herself, Sonny managed to stand up straight, keeping her blanket wrapped firmly around her shoulders. She slapped Chad's shoulder - "Hey!" the angry actor exclaimed - and took off running, or at least what she considered running at this point in her life, before Chad could return the favor.

Letting her stomach be her guide, Sonny began grabbing random foods from anywhere and everywhere. She would worry about any messes she left behind in the morning. For now, all she cared about was taking care of the craving she always seemed to have at the worst possible times (for example, at three o'clock in the morning). Her arms were full of packages-

-And that was when she realized she wasn't the only person occupying the kitchen.

"Having a midnight snack, are you?" the other person teased. "Mind if I join you?"

"That depends. You're not going to tell me you saw Chad kissing one of my friends again, are you?" Sonny shook her head sadly. "I would hate to think he was cheating on me with Grady. I mean, he never told me he was gay or anything, but I never thought he'd kiss Lucy, so I guess anything can happen."

The last time Bryson and Sonny had had a conversation with each other, a one-on-one conversation anyway, it was during Thanksgiving vacation. Bryson, while trying to convince Sonny to dance with him, had told her not to reject him because of Chad since Chad was lip-locking with her best friend, Lucy. A rough patch followed suit for Sonny and Chad after that confession, but now, everything was forgiven.

Unsure if Sonny was joking or serious, Bryson waited in the kitchen's entryway, wondering if he should approach Sonny or leave her alone. When she took a seat at the tiny table (which was really a table made for children. It was all Bryson, Grant, and Allan could afford), she patted the chair next to her, flashing the eldest Cooper a bright smile.

After grabbing a box of cereal and his favorite bowl, Bryson joined Sonny at the table made of plastic. _'As soon as I get some money, the first thing I'm buying is a new table!' _he promised himself. _'It kills my knees to sit in a chair this small!'_

"Hot wings dipped in peanut butter?" Bryson inquired, staring at the food Sonny was about to pop into her mouth.

"Lucky Charms out of a Lion King bowl?" Sonny returned, picking up the empty dish and holding it so Bryson could clearly see the picture of Simba and Nala painted in the bottom.

If anyone had been spying on the couple, it would have been a very unusual sight. Two adults sitting at a table made for four year olds, one of them a college student, the other as pregnant as ever. That was not a sight seen everyday.

Neither was Sonny Munroe choking on a hot wing as she started laughing.

"Easy there," Bryson said, lightly tapping the actress' back. "The last thing I need is for you to die while I'm the only person in the room. I'm pretty sure Chad would kill me if that happened."

"I'm sorry," Sonny apologized, coughing between her giggles. "I was just thinking…This table that we're sitting at? This is going to be the size furniture my baby will need! Actually, he - she - it - won't even need something this big! Not for awhile, anyway."

The brunette shook her head. Bryson watched her, keeping his mouth shut. He wasn't sure what to say.

"I guess it's not really funny, is it?" Sonny asked, her eyes landing on him. "Everything just feels so…surreal right now. I have the nursery ready at home and I took care of my baby cousin so I know a little bit about babies, but still…Here I am, sitting at the level of a child. I can see everything like they would see it, you know? 'Ohh, look, a table that I can color on!' 'Mommy didn't get me the right food…I wonder if I can find the right stuff myself?' 'I'm going to put my own dishes in the sink so I can surprise mommy and daddy!'" Sonny's brown eyes stared straight into Bryson's. "That was me, Bryson. I was that child, the one who always got in trouble and wanted to help my parents out but ended up causing them more work instead. I can't believe I'm going to be the parent this time."

"I can't believe you think my brother will actually be a good dad."

"Hey now, that's my soon-to-be husband you're talking about!" Sonny scolded. "I know you haven't always gotten along with Chad and yes, I'll admit that he can be big-headed sometimes…But you don't know him like I do."

"Actually, I know him better than you do," Bryson interjected. "I grew up with him, remember?"

"I remember. How much attention did you really pay to him though? Did you really take the time to figure out who Chad was or did you just see everything as a competition? I know you were always fighting with him for your parents attention." When silence was her only answer, Sonny pressed on. "Chad is a very sweet guy. I've seen the way he treats Kimberly. He loves your little sister and would do anything for her. I saw him the first time he held a baby in his arms. Chad might be conceited and annoying and arrogant and the mayor of Jerksville…but deep down, he's always going to be there for the people he loves."

Sonny knew what she said was true. Chad proved it to her when he showed up again months after she left Hollywood, promising he was still going to be around even after the baby came and stating that, someday, he wanted to have a real wedding. Chad Dylan Cooper was always going to be there for her. He was sticking by her side even though she'd been raped and was planning on keeping the baby. What guy did that unless he was truly in love with the victim?

'_Speaking of the rape…'_

Shivering violently, Sonny shook those thoughts from her head. Allan had filled too many of her nightmares over the past seven months. Knowing he was sleeping soundly only several feet from the spot she and Bryson now sat, discussing the result of what Allan had done to her…

Just thinking about how close Allan was made Sonny feel like puking.

"Well, if you ever open your eyes and realize Chad isn't as great as you think he is," Bryson said, bringing Sonny back to the conversation, "Just know that I'm here for you. It's not too late to marry me instead."

"Really?" Sonny asked dubiously. "You'd marry me, Bryson? You would take me as your wife and accept this baby as your son or daughter?"

"Hey, you've known since the first time we met each other that I think you're hot," Bryson shrugged. "I still have no idea why you're with my dorky brother when you could be with me!"

He flexed his muscles and winked in Sonny's direction. The actress smiled, shaking her head to make sure Bryson didn't get the wrong message.

"Seriously, though," she said. "You should spend some time with Chad as long as we're visiting. He loves you, Bryson."

"We're Coopers!" Bryson exclaimed, pounding his chest proudly. "Coopers don't love men! Well, the girl Coopers do, but not the men!"

"I meant he loves you in a brotherly way!" Sonny defended her words. "You two should set aside some special brother bonding time."

His Lucky Charms gone, Bryson climbed to his feet. He lowered his head until he was eye-level with Sonny.

"Listen," he said slowly. "You are going to be my sister-in-law. I love you, I can't wait to have you in the family, but…" He poked a finger into her stomach. "This little guy, the one who will call you 'mommy', is the person you're the mother of. Not me. You can't make me set aside 'brother bonding time'."

There were many responses Sonny could have given, but she didn't settle on one until Bryson was already leaving the kitchen.

"That's real mature, Cooper! You're really proving how great of a father you would be! As a matter of fact, maybe you should date one of my friends! She's having a baby, too. I'm sure she would love to raise a child with someone as great as you."

Bryson stopped in his tracks.

"Are you talking about that Hope girl? Hope Codwell?" he asked, waiting for Sonny's confirmation. "Huh…I saw her on that program you guys did on rape. She was kind of cute."

Sonny had only been joking around, but there was no trace of a smile on Bryson's face as he headed toward the living room. Curiosity got the best of her; she knew his room was the opposite direction.

"Drawing a mustache on Chad's face while he sleeps?" Sonny called after his retreating back.

"You know it!"

Yeah…maybe Sonny wouldn't tell Hope she knew someone who was interested in her. Bryson wasn't as ready to be a daddy as he thought he was.

* * *

_August 23_

Everything was dark.

Sonny's eyelids didn't want to open. She could feel the drowsiness pressing down on her, begging to fall back asleep. She fought against it. For some reason, even though she felt deflated, she had a feeling she'd been sleeping long enough.

When her eyes finally fluttered open, they closed again instantly. It was too bright. She hadn't stared into the sun - whatever she had seen wasn't bright enough for that - but it was too bright for her sensitive eyes. She would take things slowly. Open her eyes only one quarter of the way, then half, and finally, she would fully open them once she had a chance to adjust. No way was she going to allow herself to fall back asleep.

It took a few moments of blinking and rubbing before Sonny could see clearly enough to take in her surroundings. The floor, the walls, the bed she laid in…it was all white. For a fleeting second, she thought maybe she'd had some kind of heart attack or something-

-And that was when she remembered.

She wasn't in the hospital just for her health alone; she was here because of…

"Makayla." The word sounded raw and Sonny practiced opening and closing her mouth, rubbing her tongue along her teeth, trying to moisture her throat. "Makayla."

The last thing she could remember before falling asleep was being in the delivery room. Doctors had surrounded her as they cut into her stomach, removing the baby before it was too late, doing everything they could to save her life. Of course, never having a strong tolerance for medical issues, Sonny had requested to sleep through the C-section. Her medications wore off at the end, just in time to hear the nurses proudly tell her that she was the new mother of a baby girl. They handed a tiny pink blanket to her-

-Only Sonny couldn't remember ever holding the blanket. She knew the baby was no longer inside her…and she recalled the doctor and nurses exclaiming over how cute the baby was.

Had she dreamed the whole pregnancy? Was there no baby after all? How come the room was silent around her, lacking the cries of a newborn? Why couldn't she remember holding Makayla?

She needed to get some answers. Sonny was going to climb out of the bed and find someone who could help her. Surely someone knew where her daughter was!

Pain surging through her body kept Sonny from following through with her idea. No, the pregnancy hadn't been a dream. Her stomach was still bigger than usual and the pain she felt upon moving was over-bearing. She was sure the pain was from the C-section. Where was her baby? Why had they taken her away? Was Makayla alright?

It seemed like hours before a nurse finally arrived. She took one look at Sonny, saw that she was awake, and went running out, crying, "She's okay! Sonny Munroe is going to be okay!" Sonny never even had a chance to ask about Makayla.

Mr. and Mrs. Munroe were the next pair to enter the room. They took turns hugging their daughter tightly, weeping over how happy they were that she was alright. Sonny wasn't in the mood for happy reunions. She wanted to know what was going on.

"You passed out right after Makayla was born, sweetie," her mother explained. "You hit your head and had your stomach punched earlier that evening, remember? You were already weak. I guess the C-section did you in."

"Where's Makayla?"

"Don't worry about her, honey," Mr. Munroe assured his daughter, kissing the top of her head. "She's in very good hands. Mrs. Cooper has been looking after her night and day since her arrival. She's the cutest little girl I've ever seen, Sonny."

"She is precious," Mrs. Munroe agreed. "You did a great job."

"Mrs. Cooper has been looking after her night and day?" Sonny repeated, feeling her heart beat faster. "Why? Is something wrong with her? When can I see her?"

"That's so cute!" Mrs. Munroe cooed. "You're acting just like a real mother!"

As 'cute' as she thought the exchange was, Mrs. Munroe still refused to answer Sonny's questions. By the time Chad knocked on the door, wondering if he could have a moment alone with her, Sonny was more afraid than she'd ever been before. Her daughter, the daughter who she had only met for a total of five seconds, was somewhere with Mrs. Cooper living under 24-hour surveillance.

She wanted to see Makayla.

"Calm down, Sonny. Makayla is fine," Chad told her when Sonny asked him the same questions she asked her parents. "You'll see her soon enough. I'm just so happy-,"

"That I'm ok," Sonny finished his sentence. "Look, Chad, no offense, but I already know I went through a horrific ordeal. I know how I feel now, which is a lot better than anyone seems to believe. I just had a baby last night-,"

"Two nights ago," Chad corrected. "You had Makayla on the twentieth. By the way, happy birthday!"

"I don't care about my birthday! All I care about right now is my daughter!"

Needless to say, Sonny's tantrum caught the attention of a few nurses. They rushed into the room and checked everything that was hooked to the actress (how did she not notice the needle sticking out of her arm?). Then, at long last, they answered a few questions.

"Mrs. Cooper hasn't left Makayla's side," one them said. "She refuses to leave even though we can all see how tired she is. She keeps saying, 'I promised Sonny I would do everything I could to make sure her baby makes it. I'm not going to let her down.'"

"As you know, she was born almost two months early," another nurse continued the story. "Makayla is a lot smaller than most babies and therefore needs to be monitored closely. If she doesn't gain weight or if she loses any, there's a chance we could still lose her."

Sonny felt her face turn pale. There was still a chance something could happen to Makayla?

"Don't worry!" the first nurse said quickly, noticing the expression on Sonny's face. "Makayla is doing really good! She's put on a little weight thanks to Mrs. Cooper. She's making sure that baby is very well fed."

"When can I see her?" Sonny demanded.

"As soon as you feel strong enough to walk to her," a third nurse replied, entering the room in time to hear Sonny's latest question. "You're Sonny Munroe, correct? Little Makayla's new mommy?"

"I sure don't feel like Makayla's new mommy," Sonny sighed. "I haven't even held her yet."

"It sounds like you're missing Makayla just as much as Makayla is missing you." The nurse smiled as she took a seat beside Sonny's bed. "Before you ask, yes, I did just finish visiting your daughter. I've been watching over Mrs. Cooper just to make sure she doesn't tire herself out too much. Don't worry though; I haven't touched Makayla at all. Mrs. Cooper is very strict about that rule. She says she wants you to be the first person in your family - and in that huge group of friends who came with you the night Makayla was born - to hold her."

Sonny could feel her lips slowly changing to a smile. "Really? I'm going to be the first person who gets to hold her?"

"Yep!" the nurse confirmed. "But, since Makayla is hooked up to an incubator right now, you're going to have to be the one who goes to her. She can't come see you here, in this room."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go see her now!"

The nurse motioned for Sonny to go ahead. However, just as the first time the actress tried to do so, she found herself in too much pain to stand. This time, it wasn't all because of the C-section; that pain was rough but not bad enough to keep her bed-ridden. No, this time the pain issued from her head.

"That's what I thought," the nurse said. "It appears that you have a slight concussion, Sonny. I recommend you stay right here, in this bed, for a few days and rest."

"A few days? I can't stay here for a few days! I need to see Makayla now!" Sonny cried out in protest.

It was a strange feeling, really. Sonny spent the first half of her pregnancy dreading the thought of being a mother. All she wanted was for Makayla to disappear, to pretend she had never gotten pregnant, and go on with her life, waiting to have kids until a much later date. She even thought about aborting Makayla. Back then, she was willing to do anything to go back in time and make sure Makayla never came to be inside of her.

Then, after accepting the fact that she was pregnant, Sonny feared motherhood. She practiced on Isaac and found herself wondering whether or not she was cut out to take care of another human life on her own. She understood that a baby was coming in a few short months and she no longer felt a desire to get rid of that baby, but at the same time, she wasn't sure she wanted to raise it, either. She considered giving the baby away for adoption.

Then, finally, after seriously considering giving Makayla away to another family, Sonny recognized the love within her. Makayla hadn't even made her entrance and Sonny already loved her too much. There was a special bond between the two of them no one would ever understand completely. Sure, all mothers had bonds with their children, but Sonny and Makayla…they had something even greater than that. Sonny knew she was young. She knew Makayla was the result of a rape. But she also knew that the child growing inside her was a helpless baby. She couldn't control how her life had began; all she wanted was somebody to love her and keep her safe. Sonny was going to be that person. Sure, she would make mistakes along the way. Yes, there would probably be days when she asked herself why she never followed through with the adoption. In the end though, she knew she was making the right choice in keeping Makayla. Rape or no rape, Makayla was her daughter.

Sonny had come to terms with being a mother. She was ready for it - well, at least as ready as she could be considering the circumstances. She was actually looking forward to bringing her baby home…

And now, once again trapped in the results of something Makayla's father had done to her, Sonny was forced to forget about the motherhood she wanted to face. She could ask as many questions as she wanted, she could hear story upon story about Makayla, but no one would allow her to see the baby. Sonny's heart ached knowing that her daughter was in the same building as her and there was nothing she could do about it. Makayla was in someone else's arms. No matter how much Sonny wanted to meet her, she was stuck in her room until the after-effects of her concussion wore off.

So, to keep her mind off Makayla and to keep her from getting bored, everybody squeezed into Sonny's room. Nico, Grady, and Taylor sat together on the floor, playing some sort of card game. Every once in awhile, Nico would glance up at Tawni, who would be staring at him from her spot beside Sonny's bed. Both teens would turn away quickly, Nico going back to the game and Tawni rejoining the conversation she and Portlyn were having with Sonny. Uncle Tim, Aunt Suzy, and Isaac took off for awhile, deciding they'd rather sight-see around Hollywood than crowd Sonny's room. Mr. Cooper went with them, agreeing to be their tour guide. Bryson, Kimberly, Hope, and Bentley stood in a corner, Bryson grinning as Kimberly asked question after question about Bentley, questions that Hope always gave an answer to only to have Bryson give a different one. Mr. Munroe hovered over Taylor, Nico, and Grady, trying to learn the rules behind their bizarre card game. Mrs. Munroe and Grandma Munroe stayed at the bed-head with Sonny, Chad, Portlyn, and Tawni.

"It feels like Christmas Eve," Sonny complained to her five listeners. "By Christmas Eve, you've already peeked at all your presents and you know what they are. You just have to wait until Christmas morning before you can actually play with them."

"How does this feel like Christmas Eve?" Tawni asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Because I already know I have a baby…I just have to wait before I get to keep her."

"I think everybody working in this hospital is crazy!" Grandma Munroe proclaimed. "If my granddaughter wants to see my great-granddaughter, she should be allowed to! In my day, they let the mothers have complete control over their children!"

"Helen," Mrs. Munroe sighed, "I don't think now is the time to talk about this…"

"Why wouldn't it be a good time? They're treating Alison like she's eight instead of eighteen. She just had a baby! If she wants to see that baby, she should be allowed to-,"

Her sentence was forgotten about when there was a knock on the door.

"Great," Sonny muttered. "It's probably another nurse coming to check on me so they can tell me I'm still not strong enough to see Makayla."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Chad said.

There was a mischievous look in Chad's eyes as he headed toward the door. Sonny was too busy wondering what his look had meant to notice that the entire room had fallen silent.

"Who is it?" Chad called when he reached the door.

"A special delivery for Sonny Munroe!"

Sonny knew who that voice belonged to. She felt herself swallowing hard. She had to remain calm. She couldn't afford to get her hopes up and have them crushed again…

Chad smirked as he opened the door, revealing the face of his mother. Sonny took a deep, steadying breath. Slowly, she allowed her gaze to fall-

-And land on a tiny pink blanket.

"Somebody heard their mommy wasn't feeling too well and wanted to see if she could cheer her up!" Mrs. Cooper explained. She had the blanket arranged so no part of Makayla's body could be seen. "I can't let her stay in here for very long - there's a chance she could catch a virus from someone - but I thought you'd like to meet her."

Sonny was speechless. All she could do was nod and hold out her arms eagerly. Mrs. Cooper came closer to the bed - everyone else stepped back to give her more room - and before handing the baby over, Mrs. Cooper looked down at Sonny.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked.

There were so many implications behind the word 'this'. Was she ready to hold her daughter for the first time? Was she ready to begin her lifelong role of being a mother? Was she ready to put her childhood behind her in order to give Makayla the best life possible?

"Yes," Sonny replied, nodding quickly. "Yes, I'm sure I'm ready."

Without further ado, Mrs. Cooper bent over, handing the pink blanket over to Sonny.

Sonny learned a lot about babies from taking care of Isaac, although she questioned whether or not she was ready for the responsibility of caring for her own. She thought holding Isaac for the first time had been a special moment-

-But it was nothing compared to cradling Makayla in her arms.

The nurses were right; Makayla was tiny. Sonny couldn't believe how light her daughter was when she first held her. That was it? But…But she was no bigger than a doll! Despite her size, Sonny could feel the warmth radiating off her. She could feel the little puffs of air on her finger as she gently pulled the blanket down, showing off Makayla's pretty face to everyone in the room.

Sonny had never seen a more beautiful baby. Makayla's eyes were wide open and she was staring at Sonny with all the wonderment that Sonny was giving to her. Sonny gasped in surprise; Makayla's eyes were exactly the same color as hers. Her nose was pushed in a little bit, almost reminding her of a pug (but a very cute one) and her cheeks were rosy as she grinned up at her mother.

"Will you look at that," Mrs. Cooper said, shaking her head. "That girl already knows who her momma is. She's been crying all day! I bet she knew Sonny was finally awake."

Pictures were taken, Makayla was passed from person to person, and then, finally, she was placed back in Sonny's arms. Sonny couldn't get enough of Makayla. Holding her, seeing her for the first time…she knew it was all worth it. The nightmares that came after the rape. The horror of telling everyone she was pregnant. Leaving Hollywood. Losing Chad and her job on So Random. Suffering a mild concussion and undergoing a C-section.

It was all worth it in order to be the mother of the beautiful Makayla.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Makayla," Hope said softly, joining Sonny on her bed so she could lean down and kiss the baby girl. "Makayla, meet Bentley. Bentley, this is Makayla. You guys are going to be best friends someday!"

She held Bentley close enough that he and Makayla could see each other eye-to-eye. Bentley reached out his arm and wrapped his fingers around Makayla's. Makayla cried at the contact. Bentley cried because Makayla cried.

"Yep," Sonny said, trying to stifle a giggle. "Best friends forever!"

While Mrs. Cooper struggled to get Makayla back so she could take her away again, Chad snuck his way over to Sonny in all the commotion (meaning, of course, that everyone was running up to his mom, trying to block her from reaching Sonny and Makayla).

"Well, I suppose she isn't too ugly," Chad said, staring down at Makayla. "She would've been much cuter if she were mine, though."

"We could make her yours." When Chad gave her a blank stare, Sonny went on. "I haven't filled out the birth certificate yet. I could have her last name as Cooper instead of Munroe. You know, since we're getting married again sometime."

"Or you could give her both last names," Chad reasoned. "After all, she is rightfully your daughter, not mine."

"What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours," Sonny said.

"Give her whatever last name you want to give her," Chad shrugged. "I love you, Sonny." He kissed her lips. "I love you, Makayla." He leaned down, kissing her forehead.

Sonny smiled warmly. There was no way she could have asked for a better ending than this.

* * *

_April 18, 2012_

It was ironic, really. Chad Dylan Cooper didn't have a special date in mind when he asked Sonny to marry him. He knew it might take her awhile to decide on a day. He couldn't really blame her; she did have a lot on her plate between taking care of Makayla and adjusting to her new job on All the Days of Our Lives. To Chad, it seemed like his fiancée was always on the go. He stopped by her apartment every morning to pick her up for work, they made the long drive to DelMingo Studio (once he and Sonny were married, he was going to buy a house much closer to the studio), and she spent half her day running back and forth from the set to her daughter.

The first time Sonny showed up for work, she carried a tiny Makayla in her arms. Shayanna wasn't surprised at all to see the infant - she and the rest of the studio personnel spent at least half an hour cooing over how cute she was - and when Sonny explained she wasn't comfortable leaving Makayla alone all day with her mother because she was born prematurely and needed to be watched very closely, Shayanna agreed to allow the baby to stay on the set. Even as Makayla grew, Sonny brought her along every day, although Chad had a feeling it wasn't because she didn't trust Connie with her; she just couldn't bear leaving Makayla for an entire day.

When she wasn't acting in a scene, Sonny was sitting off-camera with Makayla nearby. Sometimes, she would hold the baby in her arms. Other times, she sprawled out a blanket and allowed Makayla to sit on it with a few toys. If Makayla happened to cry, Sonny carried her away from the microphones quickly before they could catch the noise. When she did need to go on stage, if Chad wasn't in the scene with her, he would baby-sit Makayla.

Chad had it easy compared to Sonny's job. While he helped out with Makayla during the day and evenings before Mrs. Munroe kicked him out and told him to go to his own house, Sonny was on baby-watch twenty-four hours a day. In the first few weeks, before Sonny returned to work and Chad would show up on her doorstep after his shift, he could see how frazzled Sonny was. Her hair was always awry. Dark circles shaded the bottoms of her eyes. She looked as though Makayla hadn't allowed her to get any sleep. When those cases arose, Chad would take Makayla and order Sonny to take a nap. Thankfully, more often than not, Mrs. Munroe was around to help Chad out if he had any questions.

It was a Saturday night when Sonny found herself unable to tear her eyes from Chad. Since they had weekends off from work, they had spent the day with Makayla, who was already nearly four months old. They took her to the park, where Makayla spent the majority of her time laughing joyfully as her mother pushed her on the swing-set and sliding down the slides with either Sonny or Chad holding her tightly. After a trip to the park and eating an ice cream cone (not a whole cone, of course. Sonny was more than happy to let Makayla lick from hers), the youngster was worn out. Worn out Makayla equaled crabby Makayla.

"Come here, you," Chad said when Makayla, her lower lip sticking out, looked at Sonny with an expression that clearly said, 'I'm going to cry in the next ten seconds'. "You have 'Cooper' for a last name, remember? Cooper's don't cry when they're tired; they take naps with their favorite Chaddy!"

Scooping the child into his arms, Chad laid on his back on the Munroe's couch. He placed Makayla on his chest, humming to her softly until fell asleep. Sonny, who was watching Chad lying there, singing her daughter to sleep…

That was the moment she realized that she and Chad were finally ready.

Sonny was the one who chose April 18 as the perfect wedding date. Not only was that the first time she told Chad about the rape, but it was also the night that she and Chad exchanged vows before the Randoms and Portlyn. Somehow, having their real wedding a year after their secret one felt perfect.

And that was how Chad Dylan Cooper found himself standing in the front of a little white church filled with everyone who lived in Hollywood.

His parents and Mrs. Munroe sat in the front row, smiling up at Chad as he waited for the ceremony to proceed. Mrs. Cooper was waving, although whether it was directed at him or his best man, Chad couldn't be sure. It had taken a lot of prompting from Sonny, but in the end, the actress won the fight: Chad asked his brother to stand up with him at the wedding. Bryson was shocked at first but it didn't take him long to agree. Chad was actually happy about his answer. Planning the wedding together brought him closer to Bryson than the two boys had ever been.

Grandma Munroe sat beside Mrs. Munroe, dressed with a smug smile. She nodded when Chad's eyes landed on her and somehow, he knew exactly what message she was trying to convey: It's about time you finally married my granddaughter! He did his best not to laugh. A wedding was not the place to burst into a laughing fit.

The entire So Random cast and Mackenzie Falls cast sat together in the second row. Chad was surprised to see the enemies being so friendly with each other. When he asked Portlyn about it before taking his place in the front of the crowd, she had smiled at him knowingly.

"I always knew our casts would bond," she stated happily. "I just never thought it would take Makayla to bring them together."

Everyone turned when they heard the doors in the back of the church open. It wasn't time for Sonny just yet; instead, out stepped the flower girl.

Kimberly held a white basket in one hand (her flower girl attire) and a handle in the other. Guests began laughing as they realized exactly what Kimberly was doing. As she made her way toward Chad, she pulled a red wagon behind her.

Makayla, dressed in a beautiful yellow dress, her eyes perfectly round as she stared at the people staring back at her, rode in the wagon. She and Kimberly were sharing the role of flower girl, a fact that made Kimberly extremely happy when she was asked if she would mind helping transport Makayla. She loved the baby almost as much as Sonny did - until she started crying or needed a diaper change, anyway. Then she was sent to the nearest adult ASAP.

Even though he knew it wasn't normal behavior for a wedding, Chad gave his sister a hug when she reached the front of the church. She struggled to free herself - "Get away from me! You're cramping my style!" she whispered only loud enough for Chad to hear - and took her spot quickly, smiling nervously at the audience as though the hug was supposed to happen.

Finally, the song Chad had been waiting to hear sounded through the room.

When asked later what happened during his wedding, Chad Dylan Cooper would not have been able to give an answer. The moment he saw Sonny in her white gown, her arm linked in Mr. Munroe's…

All he could focus on for the rest of the day was how great Sonny looked. And, as the night wore on, a new thought crossed his mind: how much better Sonny would look without the dress.

* * *

_December 31, 2017_

Sonny couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. Makayla was only six years old, for goodness sake! Why did she agree to let her daughter run off without any supervision at a crowded New Year's Eve Hollywood party?

"She'll be okay," Chad kept telling her. "I'm sure she just wandered off. She'll come back."

Sonny wanted to believe him, she really did. However, as the party started wearing thin and guests piled out, there was still no sign of Makayla anywhere. Sonny and Chad searched the entire house.

Makayla was gone.

The police were called. They sent out word right away that Makayla was missing and if anyone had any information about her whereabouts, please call as soon as possible. The police were honest though: Hollywood was a big place and Makayla was pretty famous due to the popularity of Sonny and Chad and the story behind her existence. Plus, Allan had been let out of prison because of "good behavior". No one had seen head or tail of him since he was released.

"They'll find her, Sonny," Chad promised, hugging his wife to him tightly. "They're going to bring Makayla back before you know it!"

A year later, both Makayla and Allan were still missing. It was almost as though they'd been erased from the face of the planet, like they disappeared into thin air, leaving nothing behind but memories.

Paul was growing up. Sonny knew he needed her attention, that she couldn't allow herself to fall apart because of Makayla. She still had a son who needed her, a husband who loved her, and a job to work at so she could help support her family. She forced herself out of bed every morning, going through the normal steps: take shower, make breakfast for her boys, drop Paul off with his baby-sitter, go to DelMingo, pick Paul up, feed her boys dinner, go to bed, repeat cycle. Slowly, it became her mantra. Sonny went through her days without even really paying attention to what she was doing.

There was a huge hole in her heart where Makayla was supposed to be.

* * *

_2023_

The shout was loud enough to break Sonny and Chad from their slumber.

"Makayla," Sonny whispered.

"Makayla?" Chad repeated. "How do you know that was her? It could be anyone screaming, Sonny."

"No," Sonny protested, shaking her head back and forth quickly. "I'd know that scream anywhere. It was definitely Makayla. And it sounds like she's in trouble!"

She sprang from the bed, only stopping long enough to pull a jacket from the closest. Throwing it over her nightgown, Sonny ran through the house. She heard Chad following her, but she ignored his pleas for her to stop, to wait for him before charging outside in the middle of the night. What if something really was going on out there? he demanded. What if the scream was some random person?

'_He's wrong,'_ Sonny told herself as she charged through her front door. _'I know my daughter. Makayla is nearby…I just need to figure out where.'_

The mystery wasn't hard to figure out once Sonny paused long enough to study her surroundings. She could see flashing lights only several blocks from her home. Somehow, maybe because of her mother's intuition, she knew she would find Allan by those flashing lights.

By the time Chad caught up with his wife, he was already too late. Two policemen were doing their best to force a struggling Allan into the back of their car. Sonny wasn't making their job any easier; a third officer held her arms behind her back, trying to keep the hysterical woman from coming any closer. Chad could tell that had his wife had both hands free, she would have strangled Allan right then and there.

"YOU!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "I know you're the one who kidnapped Makayla six years ago! It was you, admit it was!"

"I only did it because I had to," Allan said, his eyes on the cops, not Sonny. "She had my daughter for six years - six years! - while I rotted away in a jail cell. She never even brought her in to visit me."

"Visit you?" Sonny echoed. "Visit you? You didn't deserve to see her! Why would I bring my baby to meet a scum ball like you?"

"I missed her," Allan pleaded, his gaze flying from cop to cop, trying to get one of them to believe his story. "I just wanted to spend some time with my daughter. Is that a crime now? Spending time with my own child is against the law?"

Chad missed the next few minutes of the conversation between Sonny and Makayla's true father. He never heard the police explain that Allan had gone into hiding for the past six years, somehow avoiding any detection. He missed Allan telling everyone he was trying to bring Makayla home tonight and shouldn't his sentence be lighter because he was finally trying to do the right thing? Allan's weeping of, "I never meant to hurt her!" never reached his ears.

Because, while the debate was taking place, Chad was listening to something else: the sniffling of a young teenager.

She was several feet away from the cop car, hiding behind a nearby building. When Chad first laid eyes on her, he barely recognized Makayla. She looked nothing like the tiny six year old girl he had last seen years ago. Her brown hair was longer and dirtier. Paper-thin arms were wrapped around her legs, trying to keep her too-thin body from shivering. The clothes she wore were no better than rags.

Her eyes were the thing that had changed the most, though. While they used to be so full of questions and love for the world around her, tonight, they were fearful.

"Where is she?" Sonny's voice carried to the spot Chad and Makayla sat. "What have you done with her?"

"You're making a mistake," Allan's voice replied and Chad could tell he was ignoring Sonny altogether now, focusing only on the police. "You're making a mistake. Don't take me away from Makayla again, please! She loves me and I love her. She won't like it if I leave her."

A car door slammed, silencing Allan's speech. An engine roared to life-

-and that was when Makayla sprung to her feet, sprinting past Chad before he realized what she was doing.

As the police car headed down the street, Makayla chased after it. She only stopped when she lost her balance, falling on the hard pavement. Sonny ran to her quickly, ready to help.

"Makayla!" she exclaimed, leaning down beside the girl. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're okay! Come on, let me help you up."

"Don't touch me!"

Sonny's eyes widened in shock as Makayla stood on her own. The younger girl stared at her mother with - was hate the right word? No, it couldn't be hate…why would Makayla hate her?

"You turned them against my father," Makayla accused, her voice shaking violently. "You turned the police against him and now I'll never see him again!"

"Makayla, honey…Your father kidnapped you. He doesn't deserve to-,"

"SHUT UP!"

Makayla covered her ears, blocking Sonny's voice from reaching them. She closed her eyes as tears began falling off her cheeks. Sonny looked to Chad, who could only give her a helpless roll of the shoulders. He didn't know why Makayla was acting so crazy, either.

"Makayla," Sonny tried again, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Why don't we head home and-,"

"I'm not going anywhere with you! I hate you! You made them take away my father!"

Slapping Sonny's hand away, Makayla collapsed on the ground, wrapping her arms around herself as she cried even harder. It broke Sonny's heart to watch the scene unfolding. She'd been wanting Makayla back since the moment she disappeared - she had prayed for nothing else for the past six years - and now, here was her dream come true. Except, this Makayla wasn't the same girl she thought she'd lost.

This Makayla was shattered and broken.

The worst part was…Sonny had no idea what she could do to fix her.

* * *

_2024_

Exactly one year ago, Makayla returned to the Cooper mansion.

Things had improved over the past three-hundred and sixty five days, but no one was going to lie: Makayla still hadn't returned to her old, happy-go-lucky self. She crept around the house, acting like she wasn't supposed to be there. She did her best to stay in rooms where nobody would come looking for her. If Sonny or Chad, or even Paul, tried speaking with her, she stared at them wordlessly, waiting for the perfect moment to escape. Living with her was kind of like meeting up with a wild animal: one false move and she would take off running.

Sonny and Chad tried to take care of the issue on their own when Makayla first moved back in. Back then, Makayla spent all day every day locked in her bedroom, refusing to come out or let anyone else in. The only time her door creaked open was when she had to use the bathroom, and even then, she would check the hallway to make sure no one was around, run into the bathroom, and check the hall again before sprinting back. She didn't want to talk to anyone.

"She'll show her face eventually," Chad reassured Sonny when she complained about the weird behavior.

"How do you know?" the actress demanded. "Don't tell me something like this happened on an episode of Mackenzie Falls because I've seen every episode of that show, Chad. I know this storyline never took place."

"That's true," Chad agreed. "But everyone gets hungry, right? She'll have to come out in another day or two. Unless she plans on starving herself, I mean."

Sure enough, Makayla did creep out of her room one night while Chad, Sonny, and Paul sat around the dinner table. They were all surprised when Makayla popped her head into the room but acted like it wasn't a big deal. The last thing they wanted to do was scare her away again.

"Are you hungry?" Sonny asked. Makayla didn't say yes, but she did nod her head. That was good enough for Sonny.

A plate of food was set before her. Makayla took one look at the dish - they were having pizza that night - and instantly shook her head.

"I don't like pizza."

"Pizza is the only thing on the menu tonight," Chad said firmly. "Either eat it or go hungry."

"It's not a big deal," Sonny protested. "I can make you something else, Makayla. What would you like? Macaroni and cheese? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

"You're not going to make her anything else," Chad said. "Pizza is good enough for the rest of us. I'm sure Makayla isn't going to die if she eats a slice or two with us."

"I don't like pizza," Makayla said for the second time.

"This is a family dinner. Now, if you would like to dine with us, stop complaining and-,"

Chad's triad came to an abrupt halt when Makayla's dinner, plate and all, hit the wall just above Sonny's head.

"That's it!" Chad bellowed angrily. "Go to your room!"

Makayla did as she was told…and didn't come out again for a long, long time.

Sonny wasn't sure how it happened. Makayla hated her and was doing her best to avoid her at all costs. However, one evening Sonny somehow managed to coax her daughter into the kitchen so they could bake cookies. Everything was going great - Makayla was actually laughing and seemed to be having fun - until Paul came in to see what was going on.

"Cookies!" he cried in delight, his eyes landing on the fresh batch that had just been placed on a cooling sheet. "Mommy, mommy, can I have one? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"You sure can!" Sonny agreed. "Be careful though, Pauly. They're really hot. They just came out of the oven!"

"He can't have a cookie!" Makayla disagreed, shielding the baked treats behind her. "He didn't help make them!"

"Come on, Makayla," Sonny laughed, gently pushing her daughter out of the way. "I think we can spare one cookie, don't you?"

She turned her back to check the cookies in the oven. When she heard Paul wail, she turned around quickly.

Paul's hand was stretched toward the cookies, stopped in midair. Makayla was pointing a knife at his throat.

"Chad!"

Only thinking about Paul's safety, not even considering her own, Sonny grabbed her son's arm, pulling him behind her. When Makayla lashed out, swinging the knife around wildly, trying to reach around her mother, Sonny found her arms wrapping around her waist. She tried to take the knife, but Makayla was holding it with the blade out and kept screaming, "Let go of me before I hurt you!" She took several blind swings.

"What's going on?" Chad asked when he finally entered the room.

"Get Paul out of here," Sonny ordered.

"But, I-,"

"GET PAUL OUT NOW!"

The fight lasted a long time after Chad and Paul were gone. The more Sonny tried to take the knife, the harder Makayla struggled to keep it. Both feeling frustrated with the other, Makayla finally put an end to it: she stuck the knife into Sonny's arm.

"That's what you get for turning my father over to the police!" she shouted.

Sonny and Chad came to a realization after that: they weren't giving Makayla enough attention. While they thought the best idea would be to leave her alone in her room so she could deal with her issues on her own, apparently they were wrong. Makayla's attitude was only getting worse as time passed. She needed them to help her, not ignore her.

Mr. and Mrs. Cooper were more than happy to let Paul live with them after Chad explained what was going on, that their house wasn't a safe environment for a seven year old. They would still make sure they saw Paul as often as possible, but their main priority was healing Makayla.

Chad and Sonny tried working with Makayla. They asked what happened to her when she was with her father, why she thought he was such a great guy. She kept her lips glued, refusing to answer any of their questions. They took her to therapy. Even that didn't seem to help. Makayla was still just as hostile when she returned home and spent as much time as she could in her room.

There was only one other person Sonny could think of who might be able to help, and he was even a long-shot.

"Me?" Bentley Codwell echoed when Sonny and Chad came to him. "You want me to talk to Makayla?"

"You guys have always been good friends," Sonny explained her reasoning. "Well, you used to be before everything happened anyway. And she still talks to you at school, doesn't she?"

"I'm pretty much the only person at school she does talk to," Bentley confirmed. "But we never talk about serious stuff. Just what's going on in our classes or what we're having for lunch. I don't think she would open up about something this big. Not to me, anyway. She hates me."

Chad leaned in toward the younger boy. "What do you mean, she hates you? I thought you just said the two of you are friends?"

"We are friends." Bentley stared at his hands nervously. "It's just that…And don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Cooper, I totally respect your daughter! It's just…I hit on her sometimes. Nothing bad, I promise! I just try to convince her to date me. So far, all she's done is shoot me down."

"That doesn't mean she hates you!" Sonny protested. "She could just be hiding her true feelings or…I don't know, I can't get her to tell me how she feels about anything right now! Could you try talking to her though, Bentley? Please? You're our last hope."

"Alright," Bentley gave in. "I'll talk to her. But I'm not promising anything else!"

To everyone's surprise, Makayla came running the second Sonny called to her that Bentley was there to see her. Bentley played it cool, acting as though he'd come on his own accord and asking Makayla if she'd like to accompany him outside for a moonlit stroll. She rolled her eyes, called him a dork, but followed him out nonetheless.

Chad said the only way he would allow his baby girl to walk around outside in the middle of the night with some guy who had a huge crush on her was if he knew exactly where they were the whole time they were out. He mapped out a course and showed it to Bentley before he came over, explaining that he and Makayla could walk around the mansion, making small talk as they did so. Then, once she was ready to spill her guts or they ran out of land to walk across, whichever happened first, Bentley was to take her to the outdoor pool where he and Makayla would sit side-by-side on the deck and discuss Bentley's real reason for coming over. It was the perfect set-up, not only because Chad knew where Makayla was but also because he and Sonny would be able to hear the conversation once it reached the pool area. They had a window they could listen through that should give them clarity throughout the entire conversation.

The sound of laughter brought Sonny and Chad running to the window, reminding each other to shut up so they wouldn't miss anything.

Outside, Bentley stepped back, motioning for Makayla to climb the deck stairs before him. She obliged, prancing up the steps gracefully, spinning around once she was on the main level. It was dark, but a small fire burned on the deck, a fire that was supposed to take care of any bugs who flew too close to the water. Bentley watched as the flames danced off Makayla's face. He had never seen anyone who could look quite as beautiful as she looked in candlelight.

"It's been great hanging out with you tonight," Makayla said, bringing Bentley out of his daydream where he pictured the two of them doing something much better than talking on this very deck. "It felt almost like…"

Her voice trailed off.

"It felt almost like…what?" Bentley encouraged her.

"I'm not stupid, you know," Makayla told him. "I know my parents sent you over here to talk to me. I also know they're listening to every word I'm saying. They want to know what's wrong with me and, believe me, I want to tell them. The only reason I haven't is because…I don't understand it.

"I can remember my life before I lived with my father - my real father, not Chad - but only bits and pieces of it. Don't give me that look; how much of your life do you remember from when you were six? I know life was pretty good and mom and Chad both loved me and everything, but…Well, that's not the story my father told me. He said my mom wasn't a good person. He said she was keeping me from him and wanted to corrupt me." Her eyes turned toward the water, refusing to look at Bentley. "He told me mom didn't really love me but was just trying to brainwash me."

Having a feeling the conversation was going to go on for awhile, Bentley took a seat on the edge of the deck. He motioned for Makayla to join him. She hesitated for the slightest moment, looking back at the house like someone was going to jump out and attack her if she made the wrong choice.

"Sorry," she apologized, finally sitting down. "I'm not used to relaxing outside. My father…He didn't like me being outside for long periods of time. He said it was because the outdoors is a horrible place, but I know the truth now. He just didn't want to take the chance of someone finding me."

"Makayla." Bentley reached out for her hand. To his surprise, she didn't pull away. "It sounds like living with your father was horrible…but you're not with him anymore. You're never going to be with him again. He's in jail. He's not getting out this time."

"Oh, I know. And I understand now that he deserves to be there. He did kidnap me, hold me hostage for years, hit me, punch me…I guess the only reason I got mad at my mom was because…living with my father for so long…well, he had a lot of time to try convincing me how horrible mom was and how great he was. I fell for his lies." She shook her head. "I'm such an idiot."

"You're not an idiot!" Bentley said quickly. "People like that know what they're doing, Makayla. They know how to get inside your head. Besides, you were only six when he took you. Six! You didn't know any better than to believe him!"

"My age doesn't matter. I fell for it and now I've been a horrible person to everyone. I've told mom how much I hate her. I've been ignoring Chad. I even threatened my brother with a knife! There's no way I can get people to forgive me. Thanks to my therapist, I'm finally coming to terms with the kidnapping, but…I don't know how to fix broken relationships, Bentley. I really don't."

Inside the house, Sonny was fighting with herself. Part of her wanted to rush outside and wrap Makayla into the biggest hug the world had ever seen. The other part warned her to stay where she was. Makayla needed to vent and obviously she wasn't comfortable doing so in front of her or Chad. She needed Bentley. Sonny just had to wait until Bentley left, then she could rush forward and give Makayla the love she deserved-

"Have you tried telling them how you really feel?" Bentley inquired. "I bet your parents would forgive you if you tried talking to them."

"What's the point?" Makayla shot back. "I'm sure everyone hates me at this point."

"I know one person who could never hate you."

The conversation fell silent. Chad pressed his ear against the window, his eyes widened in horror as he mouthed, 'Why aren't they talking? What are they doing out there?' Sonny shrugged back innocently.

On their deck, Makayla and Bentley were staring at each other. Bentley had had a crush on her for many, many years. Even after she went missing, a day never passed when he didn't think about her and the kiss she was supposed to give him on that fateful night. Makayla was always the one who turned him down and he was happy just being friends with her. He was willing to take whatever she was willing to give.

For the first time, Makayla was really seeing Bentley. She'd always thought of him as that annoying boy she had to see all the time because his mom and her mom were best friends. He was just the little boy looking for someone to flirt with. She had never really given thought to him in a romantic way.

Something changed out there on the deck. Here she was, feeling depressed and like she may never get her family back. Bentley was right there, offering his shoulder for her to cry on. He wasn't just some guy flirting with any girl who walked by. He was acting mature. He was acting…

He was acting like a real human.

Bentley was the one who leaned forward first. Makayla followed his lead. Slowly, slowly, their lips met.

For the first time in awhile, Makayla's life felt perfect.

* * *

If somebody had told Sonny when she was a little girl that someday, she would move to Hollywood, become an actress on her favorite comedy show, fall in love with the famous Chad Dylan Cooper, spend her eighteenth birthday in a hospital giving birth to her first child, suffer through the torment of having that child kidnapped, and then finally end up with a happily ever after while living with Chad and her two children in a huge mansion…Yeah, there's no way she would have believed that story. 'No,' she would've told the person who tried convincing her that was the way her life would turn out. 'I'm going to grow up right here in Wisconsin and live a normal life, thank you very much.'

"Hey, mom!" Paul shouted, waving his arms above his head to get Sonny's attention. "Watch this!"

He took a few practice jumps (he stood on the edge of a diving board), then leapt off the object, wrapping his arms around his legs and shouting, "Cannonball!" just before hitting the water. A huge splash emitted from the pool, covering Kimberly, Makayla, and Bentley, all of whom were chilling on the deck.

"Paul!" Makayla exclaimed, running to the deck's edge just as her brother's head popped out of the water. "You are such a jerk! Look at me…I'm soaked!"

"It's water, Makayla," Paul informed her. "Not toxin."

"I don't care if it's water or not! The point is you shouldn't have jumped in like that when you knew I was sitting here! If you had any respect for other people, you wouldn't have jumped!"

"I have respect for people. I just don't consider you a real person. You're more of a sister to me than anything."

Makayla looked as though she was seriously considering killing her brother. Bentley came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Calm down, babe," he told her, rubbing soothing circles on her skin (Sonny was beginning to regret giving Makayla the okay to wear a bikini _that_ tiny). "You're sweet, but not sweet enough to melt."

"He's got a point!" Kimberly agreed, joining her two friends. "You need to loosen up, Makayla. Have some fun once in awhile!" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hey, Paul! Is there room for another person in there?"

"There's always room for someone as pretty as you!" Paul assured her with a wink. Kimberly rolled her eyes. She thought she'd gotten rid of all her younger suitors when Makayla and Bentley decided to date. Lucky for her, Paul took over Bentley's job of flirting with her whenever he had a chance.

Sonny almost stopped Kimberly when she saw the girl begin pulling down her shorts. She sighed in relief when she realized Chad's sister was wearing a bathing suit beneath them. Her shirt came off next. Then, with a loud, "Here goes nothing!", she jumped into the pool.

Makayla buried her face in Bentley's chest, doing her best to avoid the splash Kimberly caused.

"Grow up, Kim!" she complained. "You act just as childish as Paul sometimes."

"I don't know about that," Bentley disagreed. "What they're doing actually looks kind of fun."

"No, it doesn't. We are out here to enjoy the sunshine, not the water. You are going to sit down with me like a good, supportive boyfriend and - Wait, what are you doing? Bentley, don't - get your hands off me! Bentley Andrew Codwell, you put me down right this second or I'll-,"

Makayla was never able to finish her threat. Bentley easily scooped her into his arms and, after warning her she had until the count of three to stop talking and hold her breath, he began his countdown.

"Three…Two…One…Ready or not, here we go!"

Makayla's shrill shriek didn't end until her head disappeared beneath the water's surface. She pretended to be mad at Bentley when their heads reappeared moments later, but Sonny could see through the façade. Apparently Paul could too because he swam over to his sister and placed a rubber duck between her lips.

"Now that she's taken care of," he said while Kimberly and Bentley burst into laughter, "Who's up for a game of water volleyball?"

"I am!"

All four kids covered their eyes when Nico Harris and Grady Mitchell jumped into the pool, creating an even bigger splash than Paul had made with his cannonball. Sonny tried to cover her smile. After all these years, she could still count on Nico and Grady to make her laugh. And, of course, to keep the younger crowd entertained.

Sonny had come up with the idea to have a reunion. She didn't want to call it a family reunion even though her parents and grandmother were there, along with Chad's parents as well. The entire So Random cast was in attendance and so was the Mackenzie Falls cast. Even Hope and Bryson decided to come.

Chad was reluctant at first, not liking the idea of having so many people over to their mansion at the same time. Sonny promised him that she would make sure everyone stayed outside, which would make the after-party mess easier to clean up. 'It will be a pool party/cook-out/campfire!' she told Chad. 'Not only will it be fun, but it'll also be a great way to catch up with everyone!' After many discussions, Chad finally agreed to let Sonny throw the party.

She was glad Chad give in. Sonny was having the time of her life watching everyone getting along so well. It felt almost like…it felt like her life was perfect.

After everything she'd gone through, Sonny deserved to have one perfect day, didn't she?

No, things weren't perfect in her life yet. All the Days of Our Lives was losing ratings. Slowly, Chad was branching away from the soap opera. He wanted to expand his acting career, take on bigger roles, star in a couple movies. With his huge fan base and hard-core acting skills, Chad was offered many roles for movies that promised to be big hits. Most of them, he turned down. Filming took place too far from home. He would have to leave for five, maybe six, months at a time.

"You can go, you know," Sonny told him one evening when he told her about another role he was forced to turn down. "I don't want to stand in the way of you living your dreams."

"You're not the reason I'm declining," Chad told her.

"Makayla and Paul are both old enough…They'll understand if you want to be in a movie, Chad."

The actor took a deep, shuddering breath - then shook his head.

"No," he stated firmly. "The kids need a dad more than I need to star in a movie."

He had come a long way from the conceited person he had been when Sonny first met him. He cared more about Makayla and Paul than keeping himself happy. And yes, Sonny knew her husband wasn't happy. It was obvious when he came home from work and grumbled hello and headed straight to his room, not paying any attention to either of the kids until he cooled off. Chad wanted to be a big actor, but he was willing (kind of) to put his dreams on hold until the right time came along.

Paul was suffering, too. Sonny knew she was responsible for Paul's sorrows. She and Chad put so much effort into Makayla, even sending their son off to live with his grandparents…He wasn't getting the attention he wanted. He said he didn't want to be an actor even though Sonny and Chad both offered to take him to auditions. 'I don't want to be an actor just because that's what both my parents are known for,' he explained. 'I want to choose my own path in life, not follow one just because it's in my blood.' He came back to live in the mansion shortly after Makayla and Bentley had their first real talk, but his needs were still put after Makayla's. Sonny felt horrible for treating him so badly. He pretended it didn't bother him but she could tell he was hurting.

Chad and Paul had their problems…but Makayla hadn't gotten rid of hers yet, either. Yes, she was getting better. With the support of her therapist and Bentley, not to mention the love Chad and Sonny shared with her, Makayla was slowly coming to terms with the fact that her father had lied to her. Sonny was convinced her daughter had been heart broken when Allan was thrown back in jail - not because she didn't think he belonged there but because she'd grown close to him during her years of captivity. Sonny couldn't imagine being kidnapped or living with the kidnapper as long as Makayla put up with Allan. She was only six when he took her; of course she would believe whatever he told her! That wasn't important though. The important part was helping Makayla overcome everything and realize she was with the people who loved her now.

How was Sonny choosing to deal with her struggling family? Well, for one thing, she wasn't acting as much. She and Chad had more than enough money saved up to get Paul and Makayla through college. She didn't need to work. Yes, she loved acting, but she felt her bigger responsibility right now was taking care of her loved ones. She wanted to be home every day when Makayla and Paul got home from school. She wanted to make sure they completed their chores and help them with their homework. She wanted to be there for Chad when he returned from work. She was never going to give up on her family.

That night, once everyone climbed out of the pool and the sun began to set, Sonny found herself watching Makayla. She did not have a favorite child - Paul was just as special to her as Makayla was - but, as much as she hated to admit it, there was something about her daughter that strengthened the bond between them. She and Makayla had some sort of connection Sonny would never understand. She wasn't sure she wanted to understand it.

Paul belonged to her and Chad together. Makayla, though…Makayla was one thing in Sonny's life that had nothing to do with Chad. She didn't inherit the blonde hair. Drama wasn't her favorite genre for television shows. She didn't think she was better than the rest of the people in the world.

When Sonny looked at Makayla, she saw a younger version of herself, of the girl she had been before coming to Hollywood. She and Makayla had the same brown hair, although Makayla kept hers cut shorter and spent at least an hour curling it every day. They had the same chocolate colored eyes. When Makayla laughed, Sonny always had to remind herself the noise hadn't come from her own vocal chords. Maybe Sonny was so protective of her daughter because it felt like she was protecting herself at the same time.

Currently, as often was the case, Makayla and Bentley were together. The campfire was huge and getting bigger by the second as Chad continued piling more wood on it. Everyone sat around the flame, talking together, singing songs, and simply enjoying time with friends. Somehow, Makayla and Bentley were able to block out the rest of the people. As Sonny watched them, it was easy to see that their attention was only on each other.

"Do you want a s'more?" she heard Bentley asked. She was thankful she was sitting close enough to hear their conversation.

"That sounds really good, actually," Makayla nodded. "Where did that bag of marshmallows disappear to?"

"Don't worry about it," Bentley said, putting out his arm to keep Makayla from standing. "I'll find the supplies. You stay here and make sure no one steals my seat."

Makayla smiled gratefully as Bentley left his spot beside her, searching for everything he would need for the s'mores. The teenager shivered as a breeze blew through and she pulled her arms inside the sleeves of the jacket Bentley had given her. Then, her eyes turned to Sonny.

Sonny turned her attention as fast as she could, but Makayla was too smart for that trick. She moved to the empty chair next to her mom.

"Oh, hey, Makayla!" Sonny said, doing her best to sound surprised. "Are you enjoying the fire?"

"You would know, wouldn't you? I mean, you have been watching me all night, after all."

"I wasn't watching you. I was just…looking in that direction because…I thought I saw a bear coming out of the woods and-,"

Makayla silenced Sonny with one glare. That was another thing mother and daughter had in common: they both could make great faces when they were angry about something.

"You don't have to lie to me. I know you spy on me, mom. I know you spy on me a lot more than you spy on Paul," Makayla said. Sonny opened her mouth to protest, but her daughter pressed on before she could. "Look, it's ok. I totally get why you spy on me. You want to make sure I'm alright, that I'm not going to pull a knife on somebody again."

"Makayla, I-,"

"I like having you spy on me. It makes me feel like…" At this point, Makayla shrugged. "It makes me feel like I won't make a stupid mistake again because you'll be around to stop me before anything happens."

"That's not why I spy on you at all," Sonny protested. "Makayla, listen to me. I know you're not going to pull a knife on anyone. You've come a long way since then, baby, and I want you to know how proud I am. A lot of people would have given up, but you didn't. You kept pressing on - you're still trying today even - and I can't wait until the day you're able to trust yourself as much as I trust you. You're a good girl, Makayla. I only spy on you because I'm so proud!"

By the end of the speech, Makayla was grinning from ear to ear. She didn't mind showing Bentley her affectionate side - Chad had stopped them on many occasions from doing something he considered too physical - but to Sonny's complete astonishment, Makayla pulled her in for a hug.

"I know I don't say it very often. It's still hard for me to say after everything my dad told me about you…but I want you to hear it. You need to hear it," she whispered, her lips only inches from Sonny's ear. "I love you, mom."

Hearing those four words made everything worth it. The rape, the ugly birth, not being able to see Makayla at all for several days…It was all worth it just to hear her utter those words, to feel the warmth of her embrace. Sonny had never felt more happy to call Makayla her daughter.

Chad slipped into the chair Makayla had occupied after she returned to Bentley's side. He slipped an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Was that a hug I just witnessed, Mrs. Cooper?" he asked.

"It was more than just a hug. I also got an, 'I love you'."

Chad's eyebrows rose in surprise as he turned to study Makayla. "Really? She told you she loves you? Does that mean…?"

"I think it does," Sonny confirmed. "She still has a long way to go before she's completely healed, but…she took at least five steps forward tonight."

"We've done a pretty good job, haven't we?" Chad asked, his eyes on Makayla and Paul, who, after Paul came up to his sister and hit her with a stick, were engaged in a sword fight. "Makayla is coming along at her own pace and Paul is…Well, Paul is Paul. Not too shabby an outcome for the greatest actor of our generation, huh?"

Leaning forward in her chair, Sonny watched as Paul and Makayla attacked each other, both of them being careful not to actually hurt the other. Their pieces of wood were small enough to not cause any real harm if they accidentally hit something they weren't supposed to hit. Bentley and Kimberly were cheering the siblings on gleefully.

"You know, I think I have to agree with you this time, Chad," Sonny said. "We have done a pretty good job. And just think: None of this would've happened if Portlyn never showed me your C.O.W. book."

"I can't believe this all happened because of one little Crush of the Week," Chad remarked, shaking his head. "Things might be a tad bit different now than they were back then. I'm not on Mackenzie Falls. You're not on So Random. We have those two bundles of joys to deal with." He paused for a long moment. "There is one thing that hasn't changed though."

"What do you mean?" Sonny asked.

"I still love you just as much today as I did back then."

Sonny couldn't keep herself from smiling. "Aww, Chad…I still love you, too."

He kissed her, a kiss that was deeper than any kiss they had shared in a long time. Sonny felt like she was back in her C.O.W. week, that she was falling for Chad's charm all over again. This time, she didn't have to break up with him in seven days.

Life isn't always simple when you're a TV star and you're dating another TV star. The path can be twisted at times and uneven. You have to keep pushing along if you want to make it back to a smooth path. There is no such thing as 'giving up'.

Sonny and Chad knew, as their fingers linked together, that they were always going to walk down their path together, no matter how bumpy it grew. They were ready to face anything.

* * *

And now, the COW series has officially come to an end. Thanks for reading!


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